Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-09-20
A RICH MANS CALLERS.
Phil Armour Pronounced the Most DEM
ocratic of Chlca go's MiiIionaires.

Phil Armour Pronounced the Most Dems
ocratic of Chicago's Miillonnlres
Much as has been said and written
about p. d. Armour-Phil Armour for
short-the man is always interesting.
This is, no doubt, in measure due to
the fact that he is the most demo-
cratic OF Chicago's many millionaircs.
He is, besides, the most aifable. To
get into Marshall Fields sanctum ono
has to run the gauntlet of messen-
ger boy clerk, and. finally Mr..
Jones. who is the great drygoods
mans ''private man." II the business
is not very important Mr.. Field is al
ways engaged" Marvin Hughitt and
the Keeps. of the Northwestern road,
can only be seen upon written applica-
ton. Potter Palmer permits an inter-
view, but he grumbles good deal
President Nickerson, of the First Ma
tional Bank, informs the caller through
his secretary to 'see Gage" j. w.
Doane is not averse to receiving an in
terviewer during business hours, but
he has rather snappish way OF ask
ing: "What is it you wantP" N. X.
Fairbank, plea ,ant as he is at gather.
ings, can be dignified to the freezing
point when interrupted at his sane
tum. They all. more or less, make the
caller feel that he is facing the owner
Of million or two.
Phil Armour is not that kind of
man. He sits in the big marble-tiled
Office IN the Home Insurance building
in plain view Of every caller, and if he
isn't in conversation with some one
already he sees every one save mendi-
eants who have to state their case TO
young man who sits near
the main entrance. Occasion
ally one of the numerous old maids
who are always on the road for
subscriptions tending to the salvation
of somebody in Borioboola-Gha slips
by and approaches tho big butcher, for
Armour's libcrality is not of the de.
monstrative order. He likes to help,
but he does not relish to be seen in it.
The assertion comes from pretty good
source that he gives away round
$50, 900 every year. To be interrupted
in same intricate calculation, the dicta.
tion of an importantletter or message,
or conference with the heads of de-
partments of the immense establish
ment, is, of course, annoying, but Phil
Armour bears more of that sort good
npturcdly than 999 out of 1000, would
in his place. He has, as one Of his
friends Significantly says. ''always q
chip on his shoulder for somebody to
knock off. F"
That occurs when his bitter enemy,
rheumatism. attacks him. Phil Ar
mour is not aristocratic enough to call
it gout, as Chevalier Pullman does.
Then he is very irritable, and can use
some very powerful words, none the
less effective because they are not in
tho dictionaries. 1t Is on record that
he once told one of his trusted en-
ployes TO go TO place called sheol in
the revised edition of the New Testa-
ment. That was during a very Sc
we're attack. But the wrath passed
away as quickly as it was engendered,
and the man who was told to ''go be-
low" got an order for new suit of
clothes. AS a rule. Phil Armour is
pleasant and good humored. He en-
joys u joke and takes as much fun as
there is in life, though he works as
hard, il not harder. than any of tho
men in his pay. Chicago Mail